Don't Trust Me
by BellaSalvatore1918
Summary: It's been eight years since the night Veronica Hale crushed Damon Salvatore the week before his high school graduation. As soon as Damon, the rich womanizer CEO of Mikaelson Investment Group, watches Veronica waltz into his office for an interview, he begins to plot his revenge. His plan is to make her fall in love with him, but can he do that without falling first? Damon/OC. AU/AH
1. Prologue

**Hey, guys! So, this is a story that I've done before, but I'm reviving it and making it _way _better. Trust me, I still have the original story in my documents...to all those who read the first version, my _sincerest _apologies for that. To all of you newcomers, just be lucky you didn't read the first version. A little warning for you all, this _will _change ratings around the 7th chapter. Trying my hand at something different...**

**Enjoy this first chapter! Review at the end if you can, please!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of the characters from the show that I use. The only things that I own are the storyline, the writing, and my characters. **

* * *

**Prologue**

_Mystic Falls, Virginia_

_June 2006_

In light of recent events, Mystic Falls High was reeling over the hottest, latest gossip. It had been a clear domino effect; even after the weekend passed, the entire school had it on their minds. Even those who weren't in the "inner circle" were aware of what happened between their worshipped high school quarterback, Matt Donovan, and their beloved, hated, and most envied queen bee, Veronica Hale.

Of course, like any other high school setting, rumors devoured the student body. Some said that she broke up with him. Others suggested it was the other way around. There was even the possibility that the two had broken up because of a scandalous affair between Matt and Veronica's best friend. Then again, there was talk of Veronica sleeping around with Matt's football buddies—emphasis on the _plural _form.

But no one knew the truth for sure. Well, no one but the two parties involved.

However, the reason of their infamous breakup wasn't the issue—or, perhaps, the _point. _What mattered was the fact that they _were _broken up; or, at least, this mattered to a certain eighteen-year-old named Damon Salvatore, who'd had an ongoing crush on the beautiful Veronica Hale for the last ten years of his life.

He listened to Charlotte, the perky brunette friend of Veronica's who he'd gotten close to. It was nothing serious, at least not to _him _it wasn't. But Charlotte rambled on, and he clung onto every word she said to him about the issue.

"She hasn't really said anything about it, you know?" Charlotte told him, barely taking a breath in between her rambling sentences. "But we all know it happened. She told Chloe. Personally, I think it was a mutual decision because of college and everything next year. From what I hear, Matt is staying in Mystic Falls, but she's going off to Harvard in the fall—"

"So it's true?" Damon cut her off, paying no attention to Charlotte's own opinion on the matter. "They're done? It's over for real this time?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Yeah. I guess it is. You know, let's stop talking about this." Damon was too overjoyed to talk about anything else, but nevertheless, he let her speak while he spent some time in his own world. "So Tyler Lockwood's throwing a party tonight at the Falls to celebrate the seniors graduating. I know I'm a junior, but he's basically inviting everyone in the whole school. Do you think you might want to…I don't know…go with me?"

Damon was brought out of his own fantasy to face Charlotte's question. She stared at him with her hopeful hazel eyes, waiting for his answer and hoping for the best. But, in light of the recent events, Damon had to shake his head.

"I…can't, Charlotte. I'm sorry." He tried to say it as apologetically as he could, but on the inside, he knew that this was his first chance to change things with Veronica since the second grade. Granted, the girl had only talked to him once all throughout high school—and it was only to borrow a piece of paper—but he didn't think about that. Instead, all he saw was an opportunity.

"But…" Charlotte trailed off. But Damon didn't stay to make the insecure girl feel any better; he merely took off in a different direction to find someone who he needed to talk to immediately. Charlotte was left standing, a broken mess, in the middle of the cafeteria, forced to watch as Damon left and went out into the hallway.

Damon fought his way through hallway traffic until he finally reached his destination—his best friend's locker. Upon reaching Enzo, Damon wasted no time with small talk.

"It's real."

Enzo peered outside of the locker door at his friend, who stood beside the open door with his happiest smile. The other senior raised his eyebrow, but he had an inkling as to what Damon was referring to.

"Care to elaborate?" Enzo asked, his English accent very distinct. He transferred, of course, from the UK in sophomore year and, as of the present, had no plans to return. He and Damon had become fast friends upon his arrival, which wasn't so hard to believe.

"Veronica. Matt," Damon explained. At this, Enzo just sighed, but Damon continued hurriedly while Enzo shut his locker. "It's over. It's done. Now's my chance."

"The girl's talked to you once, Damon," Enzo tried to reason, but the Salvatore wouldn't listen to him; it was useless. "Look, even if she _did _want to date you, don't you think it's a little pointless? Graduation is next Saturday. After summer, you'll never see each other again. You're going to Yale in the fall, remember?"

Damon shook his head. "No, I was _accepted _into Yale. There's a difference."

"Oh, pardon me! I just _assumed _that you would be attending because it's a longstanding Salvatore tradition. My mistake."

Damon rolled his eyes irately, but just chuckled under his breath. "Veronica's going to Harvard in the fall. Guess who was accepted into Harvard, too?"

Enzo gave Damon a pointed stare. "You're not _serious, _are you?" Damon shrugged. "You're not throwing away a family legacy for some…high school mean girl who will break your heart the first chance she gets! Think of how pissed off your father will be!"

"It's _Veronica, _Enzo," Damon insisted. Enzo was the one who rolled his eyes this time at the sappy exterior of his friend. "I've been in love with her since the second grade. If I hadn't been late to that seventh grade dance—"

"You would've been the one to step in when her boyfriend bailed instead of our beloved quarterback and the two of you would be happily together—yes, I'm aware of the hypothetical situation, Damon. I just think it's a waste of your time," the British teen confessed.

It was true, everything that Enzo had said. The seventh grade was when Damon wanted to take things to the next level, finally playing all his cards, but he had been too late. All throughout the year, he had sat next to Veronica in English, secretly pining and even sometimes having conversations with her. A day before the End-of-the-Year dance, Damon had caught wind that Veronica's boyfriend was ditching her to spend the night with some sleazy sophomore. He intended upon being the hero, but instead, Matt Donovan had taken his chance. Ever since then, he never had another one. Every time she and Matt would break up, within a week they would be back together. Damon could never muster enough courage to tell her how he felt, probably because he was aware she didn't even know his name. Despite the five classes they'd had together since freshman year, she still had no idea who he was.

If there was one thing he wanted to do, it was change that fact.

"It's not a waste, Enzo," Damon countered. "I need to stop…_pretending _like I haven't felt this way for the last ten years. You know I've dated a couple girls here and there, but they're never what I _really _want. And you know what I want," he said pointedly.

Enzo turned to him, surveying the seriousness in Damon's eyes, and then he just groaned. "God, you're hopeless. Look, just go the bloody hell after her! I don't care if you do, all I care about is who you're going to hit the rebound with after this girl breaks your heart."

Damon frowned. "There won't be a rebound."

Enzo took his hand and clamped it down on Damon's shoulder. "Yes, well…keep telling yourself that, mate." Damon's frown kept on his face as Enzo sighed and removed his hand. "All right, how are you doing this?"

Damon's eyes swept across the hallways, and unintentionally, he found _her_—Veronica. She was with her friends at her locker, her side facing him. She wasn't a cheerleader like the typical stereotype, but she was an intellect. A smart, beautiful, and kind girl. He was absolutely sure of it.

When Charlotte came up beside Veronica and the queen bee turned her head to greet the newest edition to their posse, Damon turned his head back to Enzo and smiled.

"How would you like to go to a party tonight?"

* * *

Though she had six girls awaiting her presence in her bedroom, Veronica was downstairs in her kitchen getting a glass of water to sustain her headache. There was a pounding sound in her head that just wouldn't go away, no matter how many capsules of aspirin she took. However, somewhere in the back of Veronica's mind, she knew that the aspirin wouldn't help heal what she was going through. A broken heart was hardly on the list of symptoms Advil named on their label.

"Hey." The brunette turned around to find Chloe, her best friend since elementary school, approaching her in the dress they'd bought just a few hours before for Tyler Lockwood's party at the Falls later in the evening. Chloe gestured to the length of it. "How does it look?"

Veronica nodded. "Great. You look great, Chloe." She gave her friend a smile and then turned to drink the bottled water in her hand.

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and walked forward. "And…there's a reason why you're down here sulking all by yourself?" Veronica said nothing but just brought her head down from taking a sip of her drink. "Right. Of course. This is about Matt, isn't it?"

"It's not," Veronica tried to protest, screwing the water's cap on. Chloe just stood, waiting for a confessional. The brunette queen bee just turned to her sidekick. "Look, I appreciate the concern, but I'm eventually going to have to get over it." Veronica turned on her heel and took her bottle with her to the fridge. "And, in order for me to do that, I need to handle it on my own."

"The guy basically broke up with you because he thought you were a bitch." Chloe's words were harsh and volatile; earning Veronica to just put back the water bottle and sigh. "And, you know, if I were you, I would do whatever I could to make his theory true. You're Veronica Hale. Revenge missions are your _forte_."

Veronica turned to her friend. "Chloe, we're a week away from finishing high school. Don't you think it's time we just give it a rest?" Chloe scowled. "Matt would've broken up with me anyway! It doesn't matter if he thinks I'm a bitch or not! He's staying in Mystic Falls; I'm going to Boston in August. It would've never worked."

"Doesn't change the fact that he was an asshole to you. Thinks that just because he saw you putting some wannabee to shame that you're the bitch from hell. You deserve someone better." Veronica exhaled as she crossed her arms and watched as Chloe leaned against the center island in her kitchen and drifted off. "Preferably someone hotter…less self-righteous. A summer fling, maybe—?"

"Chloe!" Veronica snapped her friend of Chloe's own world, causing the dark-haired teenager to straighten and look over at her best friend. "Look, maybe it's just not a good idea that I go to the party tonight. Take the girls and tell Tyler I'm sorry I couldn't make it."

Chloe instantly shot up and hurriedly walked to Veronica, who was trying to run away from the conversation. "Oh, _no, no, _no, Veronica! You are not letting some washed-up jock get the better of you. You have _friends _to think of. You have a school to run."

Veronica grimaced. "Chloe, we're graduating soon. There's nothing left to do."

"Didn't you hear about Charlotte?" Chloe retorted pointedly, causing Veronica to raise an eyebrow. "See? I knew you didn't. Look, you remember that guy Charlotte's been crushing on for the last couple months? The guy in her PE class?" Veronica shrugged, indicating her obliviousness. "Whatever. Anyways, they've been on a couple of dates here and there but this morning, he totally blew her off. She's devastated."

The other brunette sighed outwardly. "Well, what do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to get off your ass and do some revenge planning! If you're not going to plot against Matt, plot against this other jerk," Chloe practically snapped. Veronica shifted. "You need to stop sulking. It's unhealthy. Half the school already thinks I slept with _Matt Donovan _and that was the reason for your breakup. Take one for the team, Veronica. Help Charlotte."

Veronica put her head in her hands and rubbed her temples soothingly, trying to ease the ache in her head. She thought Chloe's words over, thinking about the pros and cons of the situation. She really _did _want to go to Tyler's party, but because of the whole thing with Matt, she felt like it was a waste. For her entire high school career, she'd had Matt by her side, and now it was over.

There was only one thing to do, she realized. She was the central topic of gossip around the school, but the rumors were either that she was a slut or she was the scorned woman. Even the truth had her as the one that had been wronged. The only way to fix that was to be the one _doing_ the wronging. It was the only way she knew how to cope—inflict her pain on others. Whoever the guy from Charlotte's PE class was, he would be the unfortunate target of hers.

"Well, it _is _a party, after all."

After changing into her dress and making sure all of her other girls looked presentable for the night, Veronica, Chloe, and the rest of them finally arrived at the Falls, the ultimate Mystic Falls High School hangout spot. At the beginning of the school year, the cheerleaders hosted the Back-To-School bonfire, and several others hosted parties of their own for special occasion. In fact, probably the only off-the-record party that _didn't _take place at the Falls was the Duke party, but that happened once every few years when Duke returned home from Duke University, ironically enough.

Nevertheless, all the parties at the Falls managed to go unnoticed by the nosy eyes of parents around Mystic Falls. It was obvious that Tyler, who had been bragging all week, had about three kegs set up around the central dome where the town built a sort of picnic area for recreational events around the Falls. All students, whether they were freshman or seniors, had a red plastic cup in their hand full of beer from the keg. After all, what else was there to do in Mystic Falls?

Veronica was focused on one image in her mind—Damon Salvatore's. She vaguely remembered his name being called in a few classes of hers over the years, but she didn't know him personally. She was even sure that he was in her AP Chemistry class the previous semester of senior year. Charlotte was devastated when she'd brought Damon up for discussion, but she happily showed Veronica his picture in the recently distributed school yearbook. After a few minutes of studying the picture, all Veronica and her friends could do was hope that he'd be at the party. According to Charlotte, that's what drove Damon away.

The thought of Charlotte overreacting was far from their minds—it didn't matter to any of them. Every single girl in Veronica's inner circle was sitting on the edge of her seat, waiting in anticipation for the vicious Veronica Hale at action. Veronica had an idea of what she'd do to her fellow classmate upon the chance, but nothing was set in stone.

When whispers sounded behind her, Veronica turned her head and tried to find the source of the gossip. All of her girls were talking with each other in low tones, worried expressions overcoming their features.

"What?" Veronica asked, looking around at her group. "What is it?"

"Oh, sweetie…" Chloe trailed off, and then she pointed. It was all she needed to do for Veronica to catch wind of what was happening. Veronica's eyes trailed to the left corner of the wooden dome before them, and she saw it immediately.

"Isn't that Katherine Pierce?" someone asked behind her. Veronica was frozen in her position, her teeth biting hard on the inside of her lip. "How the hell did Tyler manage to get _her _here?"

Katherine Pierce was _probably _the hottest—and the sluttiest—girl in their school. Except, she had been shipped off to boarding school over the summer before their senior year began, so she technically wasn't a student. There were rumors as to why she was sent off—a secret love child, a scandalous affair with a teacher, or even drug problems—but none of them had proven to be true. However, it didn't matter. Katherine was standing right beside Matt, all up close and personal with him, practically spinning him around her finger, ready to pull him tight and make him obey. It was sickening to Veronica, how Matt could fall for such a vicious trick, but she had no say in it anymore. A swarm of rage washed over her, but she kept her coolest exterior positioned on her face.

Chloe gave her friend a side-glance. "Veronica, it's not too late to change revenge missions," she suggested. "We can think of something to take her—"

"No," said Veronica, turning her head away from Matt and Katherine. "Matt's not my concern anymore. If he wants Katherine, there's nothing I can do about that." Chloe looked like she was going to argue, but because of Veronica's icy and stern tone, she did nothing. "Now I'm going to need a drink before I start this."

* * *

"Will you stop fidgeting? Damon! I said stop fidgeting," Enzo ordered his best friend, who was walking beside him up to the raging party beyond the first set of shrubs by the parking lot. Damon looked over at Enzo with those eyes that resembled a deer in headlights.

"Huh? Sorry. Sorry. I'm just—"

"Nervous?" Enzo filled in, turning his head from Damon to the group of people ducking their way through the shrubs. "Yeah. I got that."

Damon ground his teeth together. "I've been waiting ten years for this, Enzo. You are _not _raining on my parade tonight."

"I'm not raining," defended Enzo. "I'm _lightly _sprinkling." Damon shot his best friend a don't-mess-with-me glance, and Enzo sighed, admitting defeat. "Fine. Fine, I won't say another word about it until it's over and done with."

They finally emerged into the crowd of teenagers happily gallivanting around the wooden dome, the soft sound of the waterfall in the background. No one really _cared _about the waterfall enough to go near it, but somehow, the Falls was the perfect place for a rager. There was music playing the background on a looped playlist, probably of more than a hundred useless songs. It wasn't the first party Damon and Enzo had gone to, but it wasn't like they went to a party every night in their high school career.

"There she is." Damon sighed the words as his eyes caught the sight of Veronica inside of the wooden dome, surrounded by her friends and cheap plastic cups. For the faintest second, Damon caught Veronica's eyesight, and he _swore _she actually saw him this time.

Beside him, Enzo clamped a hand down on Damon's shoulder, snapping him out of staring. Enzo's rough hand jerked him so that Damon was turned towards him. "All right, Damon. I'll wish you good luck. Meanwhile, I'll go find us some girls to make you feel better after she shuts you down."

Damon scowled. "You're such a supportive friend, Enzo."

Enzo smiled widely and took off in the other direction, leaving Damon to do what he needed. Damon shook his head and chuckled to himself, but he was determined to prove Enzo wrong. So what he'd never really had a full conversation with her since she started dating Matt? So what he was sure she didn't know he existed? He could change that, if she let him.

He walked up to the wooden dome and shook out his palms nervously. If it were any other girl, Damon Salvatore would have no problem with one simple question, but it was…_her. _So, naturally, he was nervous, even if it wasn't in his everyday nature. Ten years he'd waited to talk to her. Ten years he'd waited for his chance.

Damon cleared his throat as soon as he came up to the group of girls, trying to ignore the pounding sound in his head. The girls stopped and looked over at him, and he felt like he was being watched like an animal caged in a zoo. He could clearly see Charlotte's eyes perk up at his presence, but he avoided her and just turned to Veronica.

"Hi," he began. Damon was so afraid that his voice would crack, but he managed to get a grip on himself. Veronica looked confused, and he continued. "I'm—"

"Damon Salvatore," she filled in, the slightest smile tugging at her perfect lips. Damon was taken by surprise at this. She actually _knew _his name. "Right. You were in AP Chem with me last semester, weren't you?"

Damon scoffed at this in mere disbelief. He wanted to find words, but he was so astounded and overjoyed, it was breathtaking. She waited for him to respond, and eventually, he jolted realizing that he'd said nothing.

"Yes! Yes, I was." Veronica gave him another breathtaking smile. "Um, I just…I…" Damon was at a loss of words, and he watched as Veronica waited for him to continue. He felt like he was on a hot seat, and if he didn't say anything soon, he would melt into nothing. But he rid the panic desperately and jerked his thumb behind him. "Do you want to talk a walk with me?"

Veronica bit her lip unintentionally, thinking to herself. The girls had come up with the simplest revenge plan of all time—spill beer on his crotch and spin some embarrassing story. But the way he looked at her…the fact that he came to _her _first, it suddenly hit her. He was _interested _in her, which gave her a huge advantage. Damon looked at her like he was head over heels, and from the way he acted, she kind of thought he was.

Again—this was a _huge _advantage.

"Sure," she agreed, laughing slightly. Damon smiled at her and stepped aside so she could pass him, and she did with a simple glance-around to her friends, who were all gaping at her skills. Veronica could tell that they were thinking one thing and one thing only: what was Veronica Hale up to?

"So graduation's next week," Damon started, attempting at making small talk as they diverted from the party. "Are you excited?"

"Truth?" Veronica asked, turning her head to look at him. Damon's eyes caught hers and she sighed. "Not really." She took a large gulp out of her plastic cup full of beer.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"It's just another excuse for a family reunion." The words "family reunion" were spoken with a mocking tone and a small scoff. "And that's an excuse for my parents to start arguing about every little thing the other does wrong."

Damon shrugged. "I'm sure everyone's parents do that. People argue, but they get over it. Eventually."

Veronica laughed. "Yeah, you obviously haven't seen _my _parents argue. I'm just glad they're not under the same roof anymore."

"Your parents are…?" Damon trailed off, beating around the bush, and Veronica nodded to him.

"Divorced? Yeah. Ever since sophomore year."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry—"

The brunette waved her hand at him as they came to the bridge that led to the Falls. "Don't worry about it. It's not like it's a secret." She turned her head to him and smiled. It came off as innocent, but he didn't know any better. Veronica was plotting, the wheels turning ever so slowly in her hand. "So…what's this about? I distinctly remember asking to borrow paper from you once last semester and now you're asking me on a romantic walk?"

Damon panicked, throwing a glance at her and scoffing. "Who said it had to be romantic?"

Veronica just laughed lightly, but her gaze never left his. "It's okay. I…needed someone to distract me, anyways." She held up her cup. "Of course, the beer would've been good enough. Honestly, I think I'm a _tinsy _bit drunk already."

The two of them were left staring at each other with smiles, but before Damon could respond, Veronica's phone beeped. She broke their gaze and pulled out her phone from her jacket pocket.

_Where the hell are you? _The text from Chloe read. _You can't pull this if you're not in public!_

Veronica let out an irritated breath and quickly responded, artfully keeping her beer cup upright. _I've got another idea. Meet me at the spot in ten. Get cameras ready. Hide wherever you can._

"Is everything okay?" Damon asked, pulling Veronica out of her busywork as she pressed the send button on her cell phone. She looked up at him and temporarily forgot about the teenager she was with.

"Hm? Yeah. Yeah, everything's fine." Her lips pulled up into a smile as she slipped her phone back into her jacket pocket and brought her cup to her lips. Damon watched as she gulped half of the beer down and returned to face him, humming under her breath. "You don't have a cup," she complained.

Damon shrugged. "I didn't really have the chance to get one…"

At that exact moment, two other teenagers walked past them, obviously coming back from a visit by the Falls. Veronica gave them a sweet smile, but interrupted their conversation to grab the cheap plastic cup from the boy's hand. "Can I have this? Thanks."

The two students just continued with a shrug, and Veronica turned back to Damon and extended the cup to him. Damon took it, but he was too in awe to care where it came from. She tapped her cup against his and they both drank, the alcohol taking an immediate affect.

* * *

Chloe and the rest of Veronica's trusted inner circle, without the presence of Charlotte or the other two girls who Chloe knew would ruin the scheme if they were let in on the hard stuff, spread out around the small pool underneath the famous waterfall. Each of them hid in a different bush, at all the right angles to taste whatever delicious revenge Veronica Hale was about to serve. They all had their phones posed at the pool, the sound of the water softly falling in the background.

Veronica's obvious laughter was clear to them all as she came through the entrance to the sight before them, Damon Salvatore right on her tail. She was drunk—or, at least, she was _pretending _to be so her actions would be blamed on the alcohol. This pool underneath one of the many waterfalls on the scene was exclusive to the in-crowd at Mystic Falls High. It was almost like a secret hangout spot. So, whenever the typical crowd was around, no one dared to go near it for fear of the area getting compromised.

However, that made it the perfect spot to carry out a scheme that didn't need an audience.

"This is new," Damon noticed as Veronica skipped ahead of him, finishing the beer in her cup and crushing it with her bare hand.

"Mmhmm…" Veronica trailed off in her act. As it turned out, those Drama classes paid off. "I like to come here every once in a while. It's a great place to think. Be alone." She turned around him with her innocent doe eyes. "Don't you think?"

"Sure," Damon agreed, watching her as she backed away, her body still facing him. His heart was beating rapidly, watching her as she so drunkenly beckoned him forward with her finger.

"You're an interesting guy, Damon," Veronica commented as he stepped forward, and he scoffed. "Really. Now I know why Charlotte's so obsessed with you."

Damon finally reached her, stopping just a foot or two away. "Charlotte? What's she got to do with anything?"

"Well…she likes you, Damon."

"Yeah, but…she'll get over it." Damon shrugged. "I know she liked me and all, but I never really liked her, honestly. I was just…"

Veronica tilted her head at him in a prompting matter. "What?"

Damon stared down at her, debating the words he wanted to say. Eventually, he sighed. "I was really only interested in her because she was…friends with you."

Veronica was silent for a long time, but then she shrugged and brushed it off like it was nothing. Before Damon could get another word out, he watched as she wiggled herself out of her jacket and threw it onto the sandy ground. Damon looked down at the jacket, confused.

"What are you…?"

Veronica gave a childish giggle, really selling her drunken stupor. Her hands found the hem of her dress, and she raked it up, causing Damon to suddenly realize what she was doing.

"Veronica—" He tried to protest, but instead, he was left with nothing as the dress dropped to the ground right on top of her jacket, leaving him to bask in her half-naked glory.

"Well?" she prompted, shrugging at him as she backed away towards the water. "Aren't you up for a late night swim?"

"No _way_," April, a junior, whispered in the bushes beside Chloe. Her whisper was barely audible to them, which made it obviously inaudible to Damon and Veronica a few feet before them out in the clearing.

"She's pulling a Late Night Swim." Chloe smirked to herself, proud that the bitch was finally arriving in her best friend. "She's a genius."

"A goddess," April added in awe. There was no doubt in either of the girls' minds that the other members of their trusted little circle were thinking the same thing. Though the girls were loyal, their gossip tendencies were much bigger than that. There would be no doubt that Veronica Hale would never be pitied over the breakup of her high school sweetheart ever again.

Unknown to Damon, he had an audience as he watched Veronica let her hair loose, flicked her hair tie to somewhere unknown, and sank into the water, waiting for him. He was battling an inner conflict—to go in as she wanted or to do the right thing and get her out before she did something stupid. He wanted to be the hero, he really did. But something inside of him wanted so _desperately _to not be responsible for whatever happened. He didn't want to take advantage, but he also didn't care. It was an inner battle in him that he was conflicted for…oh, about a minute, when he shrugged off his own jacket, unbuttoned his shirt and pants, and went in after her.

She was waiting for him by the border of the shallow and deep water. He swam to her and when he finally came up for air, he found her right next to him. All it took was one look and he was kissing her, droplets of water running down their faces and over their skin. The water was warm between them, but it was only that—_water. _There was nothing else stopping them except the patches of undergarments they'd yet to strip. Damon was completely confused and overjoyed at the same time. He kissed her with all he had in him, determined to make her see him once and for all.

Veronica was surprised, to say the least, that Damon could kiss so well. She didn't stop it or fight it—though she knew she wasn't ready, she actually…_liked _it. A regretting thought danced across her mind, but she fought it hard. The very fact that he was kissing her so soon after blowing off one of her so-called friends…it was the validation she needed to destroy him. She never liked hurting people who had done nothing wrong. Before he kissed her, he wasn't guilty of anything but a simple rejection. Now he was guilty of tricking a girl into actually thinking he had a chance just so he could get with one of her friends. It was the _epitome _of something completely sick.

Damon hummed against her lips and pushed her away. "As _much _as I would enjoy to do that all night long, you're wasted."

Veronica bit her salted, hot lips and hid a smile. "So?"

Her fingers reached out to brush against his exposed chest, and Damon sighed against her. She looked up at him to watch his expression as her fingers moved south to the waistband of his boxers.

"Hey," Damon said, moving his own hand to still hers. "Seriously. You're drunk. This won't end well."

Veronica stared at him, confused. But to cover her surprise, she just laughed. "Come on. I'm not all that drunk. I can still speak, can't I?" she teased, her fingers moving again to slip under the waistband. At last, Damon let her, finding no reason to stop her this time, and she dragged the last article of clothing he had left off of his legs. Damon closed his eyes, and Veronica smirked to herself as she held his boxers in her hands and then took off underwater, leaving Damon to watch as the water moved with her.

"Veronica," Damon began to swim after her, completely dumbfounded, and when he found the shallow ground and began to walk up on it. Veronica brought herself to a safe distance up on the shore and grabbed her clothes. "What are you—?"

He walked forward, rising out of the water. It was when the sounds of cell-phone pictures being taken sounded that he realized he was completely and utterly _naked. _Though Veronica dripped with water in only her bra and underwear, she wasn't the one that had the camera pointed at her. It was when Damon looked for his clothes on the ground that he realized they were gone, leaving him completely confused.

Veronica slipped her dress over her head as a bunch of girls—her friends—emerged from the bushes. The girl before Damon gave a wicked smile.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice about tricking a girl into falling in love with you. Charlotte didn't deserve that." The way she looked at him…it made Damon's heart shatter involuntarily. He wasn't focused on the pictures at the moment, he was focused on Veronica. "You should've known better than to trust me." Another wicked smile. "Bye now."

She took off with her friends, leaving the waterfall, taking Damon's clothes with her so that he was stranded. Not only was Damon stranded with no clothes, but he also was left with a broken, completely _destroyed _heart.

* * *

The following days at school were hard for Damon. Ever since the leaked photos of him and all his naked glory appeared on the internet, he was the laughing stock of the school. Even the _freshman _pointed and laughed at him. His last few days were complete hell.

Enzo would look at him with that "I told you so" face, but he never actually said it, to Damon's relief. He wanted to kick himself for being such an idiot, but kicking himself wouldn't do any good. Veronica had won, he had lost. It was as simple as that.

The graduation ceremony didn't cause any problems for him, and for that Damon was grateful. Everyone was so wrapped up in their own business, they didn't give a damn about his. But those photos would be online for the rest of his life. How could he get a job with photos like that? How could he build a life with such a scandal? If you Googled his name, the first thing that came up would be those pictures. They were inescapable.

It didn't help that Veronica was everywhere he looked in that last week of school. But he no longer saw her as beautiful, he saw her as a _vicious _human being. He hated her, to an extent that it made him want to do very _bad _things. She'd ruined him completely.

The afternoon of graduation, Damon saw Veronica with her parents, watching very carefully as she disinterestedly stood beside them and the two parents looked at each other and argued relentlessly. He now felt sorry for her, almost, but it didn't make him stop the anger that bubbled inside. Enzo caught him staring and clamped a hand down on Damon's shoulder.

"So, mate," Enzo chirped, trying to get his best friend's mind off of the girl who'd so shamelessly broken his heart. "I distinctly remember you being torn between two colleges. What's it going to be? Longstanding Salvatore tradition or snobby wannabe lawyers and doctors?"

Damon turned to his friend, debating over the question Enzo was posing. Harvard or Yale, he still hadn't decided. Two great schools wanted him, he just had to figure out which one he wanted more.

Damon wished he made the decision based on nothing but the school's academic capabilities, but that wasn't the case. He made the decision based on resentment. Never in his life did he want to see Veronica Hale ever again.

"Yale it is."


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi, everyone! So here's the first chapter...where it all begins. I will try to update as soon as I can. I hope you all enjoy this. Review at the end if you can, please!**

**Disclaimer: Refer to the prologue.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**The Interviewee**

_New York City, New York_

_June 2014_

As Damon pushed the knot of his navy blue tie up to his throat, he caught sight of the blonde in his bed through the mirror he was studying himself in. After making sure that the tie wasn't crooked, Damon smirked to himself watching the naked girl in his bed sheet rise from her lying position, clutching the red silk sheets to her chest.

Damon turned around in his crisp, highly expensive suit, to watch as the blonde in his bed ran a hand through her hair and looked around the room.

"What time is it?" Rebekah Mikaelson questioned, pursing her lips. She leaned back in the bed and grabbed her phone on the nightstand beside the bed while Damon checked his watch.

"Almost nine. I've got to go," he told her, but an apology was far from what resided in his intentions. "What time's your flight?"

While Damon walked around the bed to grab his own phone from the nightstand, Rebekah put her phone back on the nightstand and sighed heavily. "Ten thirty. I won't be back until August. Elijah has me gallivanting through Tokyo for the next two months."

Damon hummed under his breath as he checked his e-mails, but he couldn't care less about where Rebekah Mikaelson was going to be during their time apart. He wasn't so rude to be a complete dick to her and tell her that he didn't care, but he really just didn't. Like the rest of the women floating in and out of his bedroom, she was just another notch on his very expensive headboard. All he wanted to know was when she was leaving and when she was coming back so they can meet up again.

"Well, enjoy your flight." Damon locked his phone and turned around to see Rebekah lying on her side, her body just one sheet less away from complete bareness. The sight was alluring, he'd admit, but he had more important things to attend to. He gave Rebekah a soft, melodic chuckle and a signature smirk. "Bonnie can make you something to eat before you leave. Call me when you're back in town. I'll have my assistant schedule a lunch."

Rebekah frowned, obviously left wanting more, but Damon could pay no mind to her. After all, no woman liked to have everything served on a silver platter for them—he was quite aware that women _wanted _to work for it. And he should know, being one of New York's most eligible bachelors of 2014, according to the Post. But along with being a bachelor, he was also the known heartbreaker of the city. Women everywhere either hated him or wanted him—sometimes even _both_.

Leaving Rebekah to fend for herself, Damon bounced down the stairs of his luxury penthouse and met his maid, Bonnie Bennett, at the bottom of the steps. She was holding his jacket in one hand and beside her, on the small table by the stairs, there was a cup of coffee and his routine bagel waiting for him.

"Does she need breakfast before she leaves?" Bonnie asked as Damon reached the bottom step and grabbed his jacket from her.

As Damon slipped his jacket onto his body, he shrugged. "I told her you'd make something, but it's up to her. But she has a plane to catch."

Bonnie grabbed the coffee and bagel and held them out for Damon to take. "A plane? What will you _do _without her?" Bonnie mocked.

Damon scoffed and his blue eyes gave Bonnie a piercing stare. "Don't start, Bonnie. I don't pay you such an _outrageous _amount of money to judge me." Bonnie shrugged innocently and Damon took the coffee and bagel from her quickly. "Listen, I'll be home late tonight. I have interviews for the new assistant position."

As Damon brought the coffee cup to his lips, he began to walk towards the elevator so it could take him downstairs and he could start his day. Bonnie followed him to the elevator and waited with him as the button lit up, signaling the elevator's response.

"_Another _assistant, Damon? What happened to the last one?"

"I screwed her." Damon's shoulders rose and fell effortlessly while the elevator dinged and the doors opened for him. He stepped inside the elevator and turned around to Bonnie, who was less than surprised. A smile twitched at Damon's lips. "Now she's suing me. I'll see you tonight, Bonnie."

The elevator doors shut before Bonnie had the chance to say something, and it soon carried Damon down to the lobby of an apartment building almost as lavish as his penthouse. Damon had to admit, the life he lived was one every man _fantasied _about. He had not a care in the world. Money wasn't an issue. Women weren't an issue. Happiness wasn't an issue. Damon loved his life, more than he could express in words. After practically a free ride at Yale for being a legacy, Damon was quickly hired by NYC's top investment agency, Mikaelson Investment Group, otherwise known as MIG. It took him four years to reach the top of the New York office, but somehow, he did it. Promotion after promotion, he finally landed the co-CEO job, running the business along with Klaus Mikaelson, his boss.

Klaus was a very…complicated man. Bossy? Yes. Strict? A little. Fun? Most definitely. Though Damon and Klaus had their moments, they were too much alike. Klaus was shaping him every year to be the head of their European affairs, and Damon was very much willing. After all, European women at his beck and call? He was all for it. You didn't get to be New York's most eligible bachelor by being a prude or a one-woman guy; Damon Salvatore was a _womanizer, _plain and simple. He put a different woman to bed every night and sent a different woman out every morning. He had repeat girls that he enjoyed a bite of once in a while, like Rebekah, but they were aware of his reputation. Rebekah, even, was Klaus's sister, who ran the company's affairs over in Asia, and she had been begging to climb into his bed since the first day she came to see Klaus's new project.

Damon Salvatore had changed a _lot _since high school.

His routine limo was waiting for Damon outside, Alaric Saltzman, his driver, waiting with his hand positioned over the door for Damon as he approached. Alaric opened Damon's door for him and Damon climbed inside with a somehow _ungracious _"thank you", and Alaric shut the door once he was settled. As soon as Damon stepped into that limo, his work had already begun. His phone was beeping with emails left and right and he responded to them swiftly and calmly while Alaric fought the New York traffic to get them to the office on the busy streets of Manhattan. A dozen emails and a few turns later, Alaric was holding Damon's door open for him and Damon stepped out, ready to start his day in the actual office.

Some would say that being the CEO of an investment company was boring, but Damon found it quite the opposite. He was in a position of power—a position that he was quite fond of. If there was one thing Damon Salvatore liked more than sex, it was his job. Money was merely an item to him. Sex was simply something to do in his spare time. His job, though…his job was his passion, his one goal in life. He had worked so hard to get to where he was that _nothing—_not even _sex_—could top that feeling of accomplishment.

"Morning, Mr. Salvatore," Mary, the front desk lady, greeted Damon as the elevator doors spread open and he stepped out of it.

"Morning, Mary," Damon said, giving Mary a smile. He liked to call her Scary Mary, because she was so creepy. Hot, but creepy…which was why he didn't object to having sex with her at the company's Christmas party. Regardless, he moved past Mary and passed the tons of cubicles in the center of the office while he made his way to his own, private office that was just a tad smaller than Klaus's.

Caroline Forbes, Klaus's assistant, greeted Damon at his office threshold. "Morning, Damon."

"Caroline," Damon greeted her, stepping into his office. Caroline followed with a stack of manila folders in her hand. Caroline had been acting as his assistant while HR came up with a suitable list of potential assistants for him. "Are those the résumés?"

"Yep," Caroline told him, nodding as Damon walked around to his desk and opened his laptop. "I went through them and picked out the ones you don't want." This, of course, meant that Caroline picked out anyone who was old, male, or had even a _hint _of feminism. Damon enjoyed a game, but if that game was unbeatable, there was no point in playing.

"Perfect," Damon praised and braced to sit down. Caroline stopped him, holding up her hand.

"Uh…wait! Klaus says he wants to see you in his office," the blonde informed him. Damon looked up at Caroline with his dazzling blue eyes, but Caroline didn't waste any time on him. She'd been there and done that, but she and Damon both agreed it wouldn't affect their business relationship. Plus, it was _years_ ago, almost when he first came into the company.

"Okay," Damon agreed, moving around from his desk to the door. "Think you can answer the phone for me?"

"It's in my job description," Caroline returned with a smile and Damon brushed past her without another word. He didn't have to go far for Klaus's office; it was just past the two conference rooms. Being the founder of MIG, Klaus obviously had the largest office in the building, which was far from a surprise. Damon knocked on the open door and was told to come inside by Klaus, who was playing a game of virtual golf to pass time.

"Ah, Damon!" Klaus exclaimed seeing him after he'd taken his swing. Damon gave Klaus a smile. "Come in, come in. Do you want a go?" He held out his Wii remote, but Damon held up his hand.

"No, thanks. I'm good." Klaus shrugged and put the Wii on pause so he could pay attention to his CEO. "Caroline told me to come in here?"

"Yes. I needed to see you." Klaus gestured to the couches by the television, and Damon sat down on one couch and Klaus sat down on the sole chair beside it. "It's…ah…about your new assistant."

"I'm holding the interviews today," Damon promised. Klaus nodded.

"Oh…I know. It's just…in light of recent events with your previous assistant…" Obviously, Klaus was referring to the lawsuit. Damon sighed, but he couldn't say he was oblivious. He knew that this would happen at some point—women were unpredictable and had too many emotions. "Listen, I…_understand, _more than anyone, how much fun it is to…engage in other activities with your assistant. Hell, I _married_ mine."

Klaus twisted his wedding band around his finger as Damon recalled what Klaus was referring to. Years ago, while Caroline was still just a receptionist; Hayley Marshall had been Klaus's assistant. Klaus, known heartbreaker, was just like Damon—he took what he want when he wanted it. Of course, he had gotten her pregnant, and after actually falling in love with her, they were married. Damon was repulsed by the idea of marriage; he was nauseated by the idea of love, in general. To be frank, he was amazed at the fact that Klaus had even _allowed _himself to marry someone. In a lot of ways, Klaus and Damon were a lot like each other, but if getting an assistant pregnant, falling in love with her, and marrying her was the road Damon was on, Damon wanted to _not _be like Klaus at all.

Klaus continued, sighing, "Just…until this lawsuit blows over, I think this new assistant will have to be…well, _just _an assistant. Do you understand?"

Damon was upset at what he was hearing, yes, but his job was more important than sex. Job, sex, money—that's how it went. If he had to give up sex on his desk for this job, so be it.

Damon nodded. "Yes. I understand."

"Good," Klaus chimed, smiling at Damon. "Now, that doesn't mean you have to hire a guy or some forty-three-year-old named Helga, I just want you to keep your priorities straight. Can we do that?" Damon nodded again as he rose from his seat. "Wonderful. And, in no time, I'm sure Elijah will be thrilled to have you join him in London. Now, I understand you have some interviews to conduct?"

Damon laughed. "I do, after I run over the numbers from the deal we closed last week."

Klaus gave Damon a smile. "Your work ethic is promising, Damon. Have a good day." He showed Damon out of his office, and Damon just walked back to his own. Was he displeased with the fact that he wasn't going to be able to seduce any more pretty young things that waltzed into his office to wait on him hand and foot? Sure. But nevertheless, Klaus did say he could _appreciate _his new assistant, just not touch. That's what he fully intended on doing.

So an hour later, when Caroline came into his office to inform him that the interviewees had shown up, Damon just leaned back in his chair and smirked.

"Send them in."

* * *

"Well, Miss Star," Damon spoke, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he surveyed the tanned, long-legged woman in front of him. "Thank you for your time."

"Thank you," Andie Star returned, giving Damon a smile that Damon was able to read like the back of his hand. It was his gift—he knew exactly what women wanted and when they wanted it. He had ways to get women to show up at his door late at night _begging _for him, to do things that they would never do before. Andie's interview was just proof of that. The entire time, she'd shifted her legs back and forth and Damon eyed them, almost chuckling to himself. Sometimes, it was just too _easy_.

After Andie was sent out, Caroline was instructed to wait exactly one minute before sending in the next one. Damon moved Andie's resume to the good pile, which had fairly the same amount of résumés as the bad pile. From the fresh pile, Damon pulled the next résumé and read over the information. Harvard graduate…skilled in everything he needed…worked as a professor's assistant at Harvard for her last three years..

It was when Damon's eyes skimmed over the name that he soon realized, and when he tried to stop it, it was too late.

"Veronica Hale," Caroline announced as she held the door open for Veronica, who stepped into Damon's office. Damon's eyes snapped up and he _preyed _that it wasn't whom he thought it was.

Unfortunately, Damon had never really followed his Catholic religion. God probably hated him for all the sins he'd committed over the years. Damon was starting to think that this was his punishment.

He stood from his chair as Veronica thanked Caroline and his blonde assistant stepped out of the room. Veronica turned to him next, and just like him, she came to the same deadly conclusion.

"Damon Salvatore?" she spoke in disbelief. Damon swallowed hard seeing her, and all of his horrid high school memories came back to him. He had only been humiliated for a week, but he felt like it was a lifetime. It wasn't even the fact that he was humiliated, it was just the fact that _she _had been so cruel to him. Damon didn't know whether he wanted to throw something at her or just stare at her. "Wow, I…I haven't seen you since high school!"

Damon let out a bitter laugh, and his decision had been made. He was going to throw something at her. "It has been a long time, hasn't it? Eight years."

"Eight years," Veronica repeated, breathing out carefully. She was very much aware of what she'd done to him—that night was burned into her memory forever. But, foolishly, she thought that it wouldn't affect anything. "Wow. I really had _no _idea I was interviewing for you. It's a small world."

"Small world indeed." Veronica started to sit down, but Damon stopped her. "Uh, I wouldn't. This interview is pretty much over."

Veronica looked up at him, her brown eyes piercing into his very soul. She gave a confused look. "I…don't understand. I haven't even interviewed yet."

"You don't need to," Damon said brusquely. "The position has been filled," he lied, giving her a bitter smile. Before Veronica could say anything, Damon pressed a button on his phone. "Caroline! Please come in here and escort Miss Hale out, please. _Now_."

"Damon…I…" Veronica started, but the door opened and Caroline was waiting by it. Veronica turned to Damon and he gave her another bitter smile.

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Miss Hale," Damon told her, but it was more of a snap, and she picked up on it quickly. The message was clear, as if written on a big, flashing neon sign. He was bitter and resentful, causing it to cloud his judgment. Veronica was left with no other choice but to leave, and after she exited the office, Caroline looked over at Damon, who had already slammed her folder into the bad pile.

"Wait a second…wasn't that Veronica Hale?" Caroline questioned, raising an eyebrow at Damon. Damon peered up at her and shrugged.

"Yeah. So?"

"So? She's one of the _most _qualified out of everyone," Caroline hissed, closing the glass door so they could have a shred of privacy before the rest of the assistants came in for their interviews. "I mean, no offense, Damon, but the rest of these women are just brainless sluts in heels. They have absolutely no work ethic."

Damon shrugged. "Well, there's always a diamond in the rough." Caroline opened her mouth, but Damon just ignored her. "Send the next one in, please, Caroline."

"But—"

"Caroline," Damon warned, cutting his gaze to her. She silenced, and Damon gave her a tight smile. "Send the next one in, please," he repeated.

Caroline sighed, but she did as she was told, and Damon sighed heavily, trying to push out the thought of Veronica Hale as he'd done for the last eight years.

* * *

Maggie's was a nice little bar in Manhattan that Damon went to for two reasons. First of all, he found the facility a nice break from his lavish lifestyle. Secondly, Enzo was the owner. Even after high school, Enzo and Damon had remained close friends, and while Enzo had opened his own bar with his wife, Maggie, Damon had thrived in the business world. They obviously had different interests and priorities, but the one thing that they had in common was that they loved their jobs. Enzo worked as the bartender, something that he enjoyed doing very much.

It was past closing time, so Enzo and Damon had time to themselves. Enzo had broken out the bourbon and had poured each of them a glass on the outside perimeter of the counter. They kicked back with their drinks and Damon just sighed, telling Enzo about his day.

"I mean…there she was," Damon mumbled as he brought his glass to his lips. "Totally ruined my day."

"Is she still hot?" Enzo asked, bringing his own glass to his lips. Damon's eyes cut to Enzo, who shrugged. "What? In high school, I told you she was a bitch. That doesn't mean she wasn't gorgeous."

Damon frowned and completely drained every drop of alcohol in his drink. He leaned forward and grabbed the bourbon bottle and nodded. "I think 'hot' might be a little bit of an understatement," he confessed.

Enzo chuckled. "Oh, God. This is too good. _Seriously. _How'd she react when you gave her the job?"

Damon looked at Enzo with confounded eyes. "What? You think I actually _gave _that bitch the job?"

Enzo leaned forward. "Damon, have you even given a _thought _as to how much fun this would be?" Damon silenced upon hearing Enzo's words, and when Enzo realized that Damon really _hadn't _thought about what he could do, he gasped. "Damon! I'm ashamed to call you my friend!"

Damon frowned. "Well, you're the mastermind at revenge, so why don't you just come out and tell me what you're thinking," he prompted.

Enzo sighed, as if frustrated Damon didn't come up with the idea, himself. "Wow. Okay. Damon, your assistants do virtually _everything _for you. They get you coffee…they do your paperwork…they're practically your slaves." Damon sipped his bourbon while he let Enzo's words sink in. "You said that Klaus told you that you can't have another relationship with an assistant until this lawsuit blows over. Well…would you rather be staring at some worthless woman who keeps throwing herself at you twenty-four/seven or would you rather watch Veronica Hale do _everything _for you. You can make her wipe your bloody _ass _if you want!"

Damon let the sting of the bourbon sit on his tongue while he thought over Enzo's words, realizing that Enzo was right. He could spend however many months it took for this lawsuit to get dropped watching a slutty woman throw herself at him for days on end in the office, or he could watch Veronica Hale do everything he asked and hated every minute of it. He could make her life a living _hell. _

But this would come at a price. He would have to tolerate her every day for five days a week. Thinking of this, Damon shook his head. "No. No way. I can't do it. I can't stand to _look _at her, let alone be around her for five days a week."

Enzo scowled. "So you're really going to turn down the _one _chance to make the girl who _broke _your heart in high school literally be at your beck and call? Come on, mate! I thought this was your _dream_!"

Damon stared into his cup and moved it around, watching as the alcohol swished at the flick of his wrist. Something about Enzo's plan was enticing, but there was a little voice inside of him that said that if he did this, something bad would happen.

But blind rage consumed Damon, and he ended up pulling out his phone from his back pocket. Enzo took a sip of his bourbon and watched as Damon held the phone to his ear, hearing it ring.

Caroline answered with a groan. _"Hello?" _

Damon checked the time on his phone and hissed before pulling the phone back to his ear. "Oops. Sorry, Caroline. I didn't realize it was so late."

Caroline grunted. _"Damon…what do you want?" _

"I was just calling to let you know that I've made a decision about the assistant job." Damon looked over at Enzo, who smirked to himself seeing Damon finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Enzo could just see it—Damon was going to make this girl's life hell, it was a guarantee.

Caroline sighed. _"And this couldn't wait until morning?" _

* * *

Veronica barged into the empty office of Dr. Chloe Maxwell, one of NYC's best psychologists. It was just before her office opened, so Veronica was certain Chloe would have time for her. Veronica had tossed and turned all night thinking about how horrible her interview had gone at MIG, and she needed to talk to Chloe about it desperately.

The door swung open and Veronica saw Chloe turn around from her filing cabinet. Once Chloe saw it was Veronica, she smiled.

"Oh. Hey, Veronica. What's—?" Chloe stopped when Veronica groaned and tossed herself on the patient's chair in her best friend's office, and she landed with a bounce. Chloe didn't need to be a professional to know something was wrong, so it wasn't a surprise when she asked, "What's wrong?"

"You know that interview I had yesterday?" Veronica prompted. Chloe hummed, signalizing her recognition. "Well, as it turns out, the interview was for the assistant job of _Damon Salvatore_."

Chloe was silent for a long time. "Damon Salvatore…?"

Veronica peered at Chloe from the lounging chair. "Don't you remember? Tyler's graduation party at the Falls eight years ago. I lured him to our spot and took off his clothes and then…"

Chloe gasped. "Oh, my God! That kid? No way!" She gaped now, shaking her head. "I read about him in the Post! Damon Salvatore is one of New York's most eligible bachelors. And…I mean…_not _without good reason…"

Veronica shrugged. "Yeah, I can see it," she murmured, thinking back to the interview. But she brought herself up on her elbows to a sitting position. "But he was a _dick. _Literally threw me out of the office when he recognized me, saying something about the position being filled. But after I left, another woman went in. If the position was filled, he wouldn't still be interviewing people."

Chloe's mouth twitched for a second. "Well, Veronica…you _did _lure him to the Falls and had us take pictures of him naked…" Veronica grimaced at her friend for the blame, but Chloe just looked up at the ceiling, confused. "Wait, do you still have those? With him being the most eligible bachelor, they might actually be worth a _lot _of money nowadays…"

"Chloe!" Veronica snapped, bringing her friend back to reality. Chloe looked over at her friend, who was just sighing. "It's a wonder you're a psychologist. You have the attention span of a squirrel."

"I would take offense to that if it weren't true," Chloe pointed out, shrugging. "But let's just keep in mind who's actually making _money _these days."

Veronica sighed again. "I know. I know. I need a _job. _And I _thought _I would get this one, but with Damon being the boss, I guess—" All of a sudden, her phone started ringing, and Veronica maneuvered herself to take it out of her back pocket of her jeans. It was a Saturday, which was the reason she wasn't already ready to go meet some new potential employers. Her eyebrows knotted when she saw the unfamiliar number, but she took the call anyway. "Hello?"

"_Veronica Hale?" _

Veronica nodded. "This is she."

"_Hi. This is Caroline Forbes from Mikaelson Investment Group. I was just calling to inform you that Mr. Salvatore has decided to give you the assistant job." _

Veronica silenced, completely stunned. She hadn't even been given an _interview _with him and he was giving her the job? Was her résumé _that _impressive? Sure, she was outstandingly qualified—that she knew—but especially after him kicking her out of his office, she thought it was exceedingly strange that she was being offered the job.

She forced something out, realizing that she had been mute for a while. "O-Oh! Sorry, I…um…I thought the position had already been filled..."

_"Um...no, not unless you accept our offer."_

She wanted to say she was surprised that Damon lied, but it was hardly one. Instead, she just shook her head. "Are you sure you're calling the right person?" she breathed out, thinking that it must've been a mistake.

Caroline was silent. _"Well…this is Veronica Hale, right?"_

"Yes, but—"

"_He'll need you to start Monday morning," _Caroline told her, and then shortly after began to talk about the salary. Veronica's heart stopped beating for just a split second as she rose from Chloe's patient's chair and began to pace, running a hand through her brown hair. She was completely nad utterly confused, but here an opportunity was, just knocking on her door. Could it be possible that Damon decided to be professional about this? She didn't know him all that well, but he had to have _some _shred of humanity in him, right?

Caroline soon told her that she needed an answer at that very second being crunched for time, and Veronica scrambled to figure out what she wanted. Could she really work with the man she had thoroughly embarrassed eight long years ago just a week before one of the most important days of his life?

Well, if Damon could forget, so she could she. Veronica let out a light laugh.

"I'll take it."


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey, everyone. Chapter 2 is finally here. It's a lot shorter than the previous chapters, but it's something. To be honest, I don't think this will start picking up until Chapter 4/5 where Damon sort of changes up his plans for revenge. For now, he's just on the plain old "make her life a living hell" like Enzo suggested. **

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Review if you can! **

**Disclaimer: Refer to the prologue.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Keeping the Job**

Veronica Hale would have to be an idiot not to be intimidated by the validity of Mikaelson Investment Group. She'd done her research—they were one of the top stock companies on the Eastern seaboard. The very fact that she had gotten a job working as the CEO's assistant gave her one hell of an inflation when it came to her ego. But if there was one thing that her sucky parents had taught her over the years, it was not to count your eggs before they hatch. Her mother was once one of the top real estate agents in the country, but then the recession hit. Suddenly, no one cared anymore about who was the best real estate agent because prices had inflated and salaries had decreased. Her father barely had time for her ever since she started middle school, but he was the one who really provided for them. Only, it was at the expense of his family, which fell apart not only because of his negligence but also because of his after-hours meetings with his boss.

But when Veronica saw the kind, well-kept blonde woman, Caroline Forbes, who had shown her to the interview the other day and had called her to give her the job, all of those horrible memories faded away into the wind. Veronica no longer had to deal with the work life of her parents; she had her own to deal with.

"Veronica Hale?" Caroline questioned as she walked forward to the brunette waiting for her in the lobby of their level. Veronica stood immediately and nodded.

"Yes."

Caroline gave a warm, inviting smile as she stuck out her hand. "Hi. I'm Caroline Forbes. We met at the interviews the other day."

After shaking Caroline's hand, another nod came from Veronica. "Yes. I remember."

"Follow me," Caroline told her as she jerked her blonde hair to the side and began to walk. Veronica wasted no time in doing what she was told, grabbing her things and following the stick-thin, elegant-looking assistant.

Caroline certainly didn't mess around with her job, Veronica realized. She was wearing a bright, happy yellow-colored pencil dress and heels that looked uncomfortable for anyone to wear, but somehow she pulled it off. Even in Caroline's ear, Veronica could make out the outline of a Bluetooth earpiece.

When they came to a stop in front of the office Veronica had visited yesterday, Caroline gestured to a desk across from the door. "This is Mr. Salvatore's office and this is your desk. He's in his office most days of the week, but when he's out, he expects you to be on call. Now that Mary at the front desk knows who you are, you can go right on in every day. You're expected to be here at eight-thirty every day; it's a half an hour before he comes in, so whenever he needs to come in early, the same rules apply."

Veronica cocked an eyebrow at Caroline. "Eight-thirty? Doesn't that seem a little late in the day?"

Caroline laughed. "It is. But lucky for him, he gets the job done right, so Mr. Mikaelson lets him come in whenever he wants. Excuse me one moment." At the sudden burst, Veronica looked over at Caroline, watching as the blonde reached up to her ear and pressed a button. "Yes, Klaus? No, you weren't supposed to take a right on fifty-third, you were supposed to take a _left _on fifty-first! Well, you wouldn't have to go through any of this if you just took the company car like I told you to. Yes, I'm always right. Take the next left and you're there."

When Caroline pressed the button again, presumably to end the call, Veronica knotted her eyebrows. "Do we all have to use earpieces?"

Caroline smiled and shook her head. "No, I just prefer it. It makes my life easier. It'll probably make yours easier, too, but I know a lot of the assistants who don't use one. Of course, they're not the owner's assistant, so…"

Veronica laughed. "Earpiece it is."

Caroline studied the new assistant for a long time before her white teeth glistened. "You know, I just don't get it. You were the most qualified out of all of the other assistants and Damon just threw you out of his office like that. I think you have great potential."

The other assistant nodded. "Yeah, well, he did that because—"

"Because I didn't need to meet her. Her résumé was outstanding enough." Veronica turned as Caroline's eyes drifted up to see Damon, standing with a bitter smile up on his face. Veronica opened her mouth to tell the real truth, but Damon just stuck out his hand. "Damon Salvatore."

Veronica eyed him carefully, confused beyond a shred of doubt. She knew who he was. She knew that _he _knew who she was. What game was he trying to pull? Regardless, Veronica took his cold hand and shook it. "Veronica Hale."

Caroline looked over at Damon. "You didn't even care to ask her name before you threw her out?"

Damon's eyes cut to the blonde before him. "Scram, Caroline. I'll take over now."

The annoyed assistant just looked at Veronica. "Well, your ID badge and the paperwork you need to fill out is on your desk. The ID badge will need to be used downstairs until the security guys get to know you better. If you need anything, I'll be over at my own desk."

Veronica nodded to her as Caroline began to turn. "Thanks."

When Caroline was gone, Veronica watched as Damon turned as well and walked into his own office, pushing the heavy glass door open. When he started speaking, Veronica followed him into the room. Damon threw his briefcase to the couch in his office, barely missing Veronica's body.

"Every morning, when I come in, I expect a coffee and bagel waiting for me. Coffee from Starbucks, bagel from the little shop a few blocks away. I'll have Bonnie, my maid, send you the address. Today, I had her get it for me, but tomorrow I expect you to," Damon ordered without looking up at the woman in his office. He instead paid attention to the loads of papers he had to deal with for the rest of the day. In all truth, he'd never had his assistants get him coffee or bagels before—that was always Bonnie's job. Instead, he found that it was just another way to make Veronica's life a living hell, so he was going to let his dear Bonnie have her rest. But coffee and bagels were hardly the tip of the iceberg.

"Okay," Veronica answered without an issue. She walked towards the desk, and Damon didn't even bother to look up at her. "But…first, can we talk about the fact that you just pretended not to know who I was?"

Damon looked up at her. He should've known. She wasn't the type to just let something go unnoticed. Instead of acknowledging his mistake, he just shrugged. "What are you talking about? I don't know who you are."

"Yes, you do. We went to the same high school. I—"

Damon sat down in his chair and sighed, earning her to stop. "If you _ever _mention that night again, I won't hesitate to fire you. Got it?" His eyes turned as sharp as knives, and Veronica didn't say anything to argue with him. "As far as everyone here knows, that night never existed. So it doesn't. Which means _we _never knew each other in high school. Are we clear?"

Veronica thought over it, but eventually, a tart smile just covered her anger. "Yes, Mr. Salvatore."

Damon smirked back at her, his smile just as sick. "Good."

* * *

"_Five _summary reports," Veronica hushed into the phone as she stood in the copy room waiting for the copier to finish printing out the copies of the contracts Damon had her draw up earlier. "I mean, he could at least be a little less _obvious _about the fact that he's trying to drown me in paperwork."

Over the phone, Chloe sighed heavily. _"Are you paying me for this? Because I have another session in, like, two minutes." _

Before her, as if there weren't enough problems in her day, the copier made an ugly sound. Veronica sighed and stepped forward, holding the phone between her shoulder and ear. "I haven't sat down all day. Every time I even _try, _he always tells me to go do something unimportant like…oh, there was one time when he wanted the stapler that fell off his desk." After a few jerks at the copy machine, Veronica managed to get out the paper that was jamming the whole device. As soon as the paper was out, the copier began to roll out fresh steams of paper where it left off.

"_He's your boss. He's entitled to tell you what to do." _

Veronica grabbed the phone with her hand again and exhaled. "Wes never made me pick up his damn stapler."

She could practically see Chloe's frown in her mind. _"Wes is back in Boston, jobless where he belongs. Get over it." _Suddenly, Veronica didn't feel sorry for _herself, _she felt sorry for Chloe's patients if this was how she talked to them. But, nevertheless, Chloe was right. Not that Veronica would ever admit that fact, but she knew it deep down.

"Yeah, well…I'm too good for this."

"_It's your own fault you're taking orders from someone! If you just stopped being a scared little girl, maybe you could actually make something of yourself," _Chloe suggested. The brunette frowned.

"You have the strangest way of making someone feel better, Chloe. Thanks."

"_You don't call me to feel better. You call me to have someone tell you what shit you're doing wrong and what shit you're doing right. Right now, you're doing all the wrong shit." _Veronica huffed a laugh. _"Now I've got to go. Drinks later?" _

"Sure," Veronica answered before she heard the three beeps from her iPhone telling her that the call was over. She put her cell phone on the table beside the copy machine and instead grabbed the summary report she'd gone over ten times to make sure was ship-shape for Damon. It was blatantly obvious all day that he was trying to egg her to make a rash decision that was grounds for firing. Instead, she had shown him up; he wouldn't find another assistant better than her, and he knew it.

"Excuse me?" Veronica looked up to see a handsome, blue-eyed, blonde man waiting for her to acknowledge him. She immediately put the summary report she'd been looking over down on the table behind her and straightened. "Are you Damon Salvatore's new assistant?"

"I am, yes," Veronica answered. The man stuck out his hand.

"Luke Parker. I'm the mailroom guy," he admitted as if it were some inside joke. She shook his hand, reluctant, and the guy just gave her a smile and turned around. "Sorry I just have a few things for Mr. Salvatore and he said to give everything to you, but…you're not at your desk."

Veronica nodded. "Yeah. He wanted me to make some copies so…" A silence passed before she just gestured to his cart. "I'll take whatever you have."

"Okay, great." Luke turned around and grabbed a stack of envelopes the size of a footlong Subway sandwich. Veronica's mouth practically dropped to the floor, but she had no choice other than to take the stack of envelopes from him and put it down on the table. She lost a few envelopes that slid across the small copy room table, but luckily for her, they didn't fall off. "Sorry. He's a popular person, you know?"

Veronica gave a bitter laugh. "Oh, I know. Just don't know why." _He's an asshat. _

"Well…uh…just so you know, you should try and be careful around him," Luke warned her as Veronica turned around, eyeing the envelopes to make sure none of them fell while she turned her back. Finally catching up with Luke's words, she raised an eyebrow.

"Be careful? Why?"

"He's kind of notorious around the office," Luke admitted, with a small shrug. Veronica waited for him to clarify. "With his assistants, I mean. Well, not _only _the assistants, but it's mostly them. But…I mean…they're just rumors, so…"

But Luke Parker knew they weren't rumors. Everyone in the office knew they weren't rumors. The woman he slept with would gladly brag about being with Damon. Then there were the liars who _said _they slept with him, but really didn't. It was easy to tell who was lying and who wasn't. Damon had a special way of making a woman stand out.

Veronica nodded slowly. "Notorious, huh? Does he…I don't know, make their life a living hell before he sleeps with them?" There was no dressing it up like Luke did, she just flat-out asked.

Luke was hesitant, thrown off guard at the question, but then he just shook his head. "Well, from what I heard, he's really good to them actually. Never overworks them. Buys them coffee. He can be a jerk to business partners, but from what I've seen, never to women."

Veronica scoffed. "Great. So it's just me then," she mumbled. Luke didn't say anything, and she looked up at him and just smiled. "Well…thanks for the warning, Luke."

The mailroom guy just nodded and backed out of the copy room with his cart, on his way to another destination. Veronica didn't know whether to be angry or relieved over the fact that Damon was treating her like dog shit. Nevertheless, she did her job to the best of her ability. And her ability was _the _best.

At the end of the day, she was completely worn out and stressed to the very maximum. It came to the point where she was waiting for the clock, egging on the second hand to turn and set her free from the hellhole she was in. Veronica Hale was no longer in awe of the validity of MIG, she hated it. Damon had her go to the file room earlier and search every single box just for one little piece of paper that he ended up finding in a file he'd already had. She'd absorbed so much information that she felt like she was about to implode.

Another week of this? A month? A year? She felt like she'd be fifty by the time the next week went by. The corporate world seemed enticing, but Veronica wasn't sure she could handle it. Especially with Damon breathing down her neck at every turn. Maybe she should just quit while she's ahead.

"Hey," Caroline greeted Veronica at her desk as the time approached for them to leave. "How was your first day?"

Veronica looked up at the blonde. "Real answer or fake answer?"

Caroline inhaled sharply. "Ouch. That bad?" The other assistant shrugged. "Look, I get it. Damon's a little…strong sometimes. But he responds to authority. Backbone. Just show him that you can handle it and eventually he'll treat you with the respect you deserve."

Veronica couldn't help but scoff. If only Caroline knew that he would never change. Not when it came to her. Not after what she did. "I highly doubt it."

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, well…if you quit, you won't ever find out." Veronica looked up, raising an eyebrow at Caroline. Caroline gave her a pointed look. "I'm Caroline Forbes. I know everything. You'll get used to that, too."

The two looked at each other for a long time until Veronica laughed. "How the hell did Damon ever get used to you?" she asked. It wasn't meant to be taken as an insult, but she was genuinely curious.

Caroline smiled. "I stuck around long enough." She rose her hand and gave Veronica a small little wave. "I'll see you tomorrow, Veronica." Caroline turned on her heel, leaving the other assistant to watch as Caroline left the office, looking just as fresh as she had been earlier in the morning. Veronica was highly impressed, and she realized that, if she turned out like Caroline, her life would be everything she ever wanted.

Inside of Damon's office, Veronica could see him with a taut face, leaning over his desk. It was dark outside already, and all Damon had on in his office was the lamp on the side of his desk. He had stripped his suit jacket and had rolled up his sleeves with a pen in his right hand. Damon, though focused, was just waiting for his assistant to come with him and make both their lives a lot easier. Damon knew it was only a matter of time until she quit, he just had to push the right buttons.

When his office door opened, Damon didn't even look up. He heard her voice, however. "Do you need help with anything?" Veronica asked.

Being asked the question, Damon looked up at her at his threshold without moving another inch of his body besides his eyes. "No. You can go home." _Quit, _his subconscious snapped at her._ Do us both a favor and quit. _

Veronica nodded at him and smiled. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then, Mr. Salvatore." Before he could even get a word out, she had shut the glass door and was already halfway down the hallway. Damon was left in his office, watching as everyone went home as well, and he leaned back in his chair.

She was going to put up a fight. He could see that now. But there was nothing she could do—he _would _win. All he had to do was wait until she cracked.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Refer to the preface.**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**House Calls**

_Bzzzzzzzzzz. _

The sound slowly faded into Veronica's ear as she felt something vibrate beside her. The sound was stirring her from blissful sleep in her peaceful bed where she laid alone. Sleep was something that she didn't get very often—not since she became Damon Salvatore's assistant. For a month and a half, Veronica had been getting home at ten o'clock most nights running errands for him and, on those rare occasions that she had come home at a decent hour, he would always interrupt her sleep. She felt like she had a big target on her back, but what could she do? Working at Mikaelson Investment Group was something a dozen women would _kill _for. After that first day at the office, she had made a promise to herself to not give up so easily.

_Bzzzzzzzzzz. _

Veronica rolled over in her bed, feeling the coolness of the metallic-colored silk sheets, and her hand extended out to grab the phone on her dresser. After feeling a few other things that wasn't a rectangular Apple device, she finally found the technology and yanked it from its charger. Swiping her thumb, she put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she mumbled tiredly, using her free hand to rub her eyes free of the sleep that resided. Damon's voice acted as a bullhorn in her ear.

"_Veronica? Yeah, I have a package at the drugstore around the corner of my house. I need you to pick it up for me." _

Veronica sighed and opened her eyes, finding her eyes sticky for just a moment. She pulled her phone away from her ear so the screen lit up at the motion, and she eyed the time at the top. Almost growling, she pulled the phone back to her ear, "What could you _possibly _need at three o'clock in the morning from the drugstore, Damon?"

"_It's supposed to be ready in five. I expect you here in six." _She opened her mouth to protest, but Damon had already hung up the phone. Veronica pulled it down to her side, finding a rage bubbling up inside of her. But she wasn't the type of girl to scream to _herself, _and if Damon wasn't her boss, there'd be no doubt in her mind that she'd bring a bat over to his apartment.

Instead, she swung her legs out of her bed and forced herself to listen to the man who signed her paychecks.

Normally, she lived twenty minutes from Damon's place of residence—but that was accounting all the city traffic. Though the city never slept, it was much calmer at night than it was at two o'clock in the afternoon. Her cab driver left the meter running after parking at the drugstore around the corner from Damon's apartment. At this rate, she was around five minutes past Damon's deadline, but she didn't give a damn. It was three o'clock in the morning—he could wait.

"I'm here to pick up a package for Damon Salvatore," Veronica said tiredly as she walked up to the counter at the CVS. The night shift worker sighed, exhausted, and she felt like giving him a high-five or something. The worker put the package down on the counter, and Veronica raised her eyebrow at the plain white paper bag.

"That'll be 25.99," the worker told her. Veronica frowned and pulled out her wallet.

"Great. Now he's sticking me with the bill, too," she mumbled as she pulled out the bills to pay for Damon's package. She grabbed the paper bag and started to open it. "What the hell is in this thing, any—?"

"Um…he said to not let you open it," the worker protested, holding up a hand at her. Veronica peered up at him and the boy just shrugged. "Sorry."

Veronica let out an agitated exhale, but gave the boy a tight smile before leaving the CVS pharmacy. She went back to the waiting cab driver and they drove just a block to get to Damon's apartment. This time, she sent the cab driver away knowing that she could get another after she came out.

Damon's building was nothing like hers. Though Veronica could see clearly that she didn't live in run-down Brooklyn apartments, but she didn't live the rich life, either. Working as an assistant, that was understandable. Damon, however, was a twenty-something _millionaire, _so it made sense that he lived in an Upper East Side apartment complex and resided on the very top floor—the penthouse.

The elevator doors split, and Veronica found Damon waiting right by them. She didn't have to move, but she was still angry. Damon was standing in front of her without a shirt, frowning.

"You're late."

"I know." Veronica shoved the bag to Damon and he took it with a growing smile. "What's in that thing, anyway? Something so important you told the store clerk I couldn't look inside?"

Damon ripped open the paper bag and pulled out a box of condoms. Veronica felt an anger she'd never felt before bubble up inside of her. He sent her out at three in the morning…for _condoms_? Out from around the elevator's corner, a blonde wearing nothing but one of Damon's dress shirts appeared with a smile on her face.

"Yes! You've got them!"

Damon smiled and turned back to Veronica. "See you at work."

His assistant opened her mouth to say something, but Damon had already turned the corner, and the elevator doors had already shut.

* * *

Chloe's eyes widened as Veronica finished telling the story and took a sip of her orange juice to calm her anger. "He…he made you run out at three o'clock in the morning…to buy him…_condoms_?"

Veronica shrugged, but the anger from the night before had washed from her. She had to admit, before she reached the sanctity of her own home, she had contemplated on taking a bat to Damon's head. Instead, she refrained (like any respectable woman would do in her situation) and went to bed, exhausted. He just wasn't worth it, in her eyes.

"I guess he ran out. Remember? One of New York's most _eligible _bachelors and all that?" she mumbled, drowning the rest of her orange juice. Chloe scoffed.

"What a…_dick_," Chloe commented, wrinkling her nose. "Doesn't he have someone for that stuff?"

"Yeah…_me_."

"No, I meant someone _else_," the other woman countered, rolling her eyes at Veronica's moronic interpretation of her question. "Didn't you say he had a personal maid? Brenda or something?"

"Bonnie. I've only met her once," Veronica informed, leaning back in her chair and staring at her food. The French toast didn't seem so appetizing thinking about what had happened the night before.

"Brenda…Bonnie…whatever." Chloe waved her hand dismissively and then pointed at her best friend. "The point is, it's not _your _job. You're his _work _assistant, not his personal one."

Veronica looked up at Chloe and frowned, disappointed. "I thought you wanted me to suck it up and do what he says. Remember, he's not Wes?"

"Well, at the rate he's going right now, he might as well _be _Wes!" Chloe exclaimed exasperatedly as she bit into her breakfast sandwich. After swallowing, she continued, "It's not your job to run the man's personal life, Veronica. He can get someone else to do that."

Veronica shook her head, trying to explain it to Chloe without causing some kind of rebuttal from the opinionated psychologist. "The guy hates me, Chloe. And he also signs my…very _generous _paychecks. He may be a dick, but he's a _powerful _dick who can send my career into oblivion before it's ever started."

Chloe and Veronica sat in silence until Chloe finally realized. "And…he can also _kick start _your career, right?" Veronica shrugged in agreement. "Okay. I guess I get it now. But it's still _seriously _fucked up."

Veronica's eyes cut to her friend sharply. "You think I don't know that? I'm the one who had to run all the way across town before the crack of _dawn _to get my boss some condoms!" She rose from her place at the table in the restaurant and pulled on her purse. "And, as a matter of fact, now I've got to go pick up his groceries and laundry or…something."

Chloe's frown became evident. "This guy needs a _team _of highly trained professionals. He's ridiculous."

"Tell me about it," Veronica snorted. But with a shrug, she began to walk away from the table. "Bye, Chloe. I'll talk to you later."

After leaving the restaurant and her half-eaten breakfast, Veronica went to the grocery store to pick out the groceries that were pre-ordered for Damon every two weeks. Across the street was the dry cleaner's, and that was her next stop. Eventually, she found herself back at the opening elevator doors with a bunch of bags in her hands and Damon's shirts and suit jackets hanging over her arm. At the elevator, Bonnie greeted her with a warm smile. After greetings, Bonnie took the grocery bags from her and the two walked into the kitchen.

"Sorry Damon's having you run across town for all this stuff," Bonnie apologized as she began to unpack the bags. Veronica didn't say anything. "I think he's just…being a little extra vindictive."

It was no surprise; Veronica just scoffed. "Tell me about it. Um, where should I put the clothes?"

"In his room. Up the stairs to the left," Bonnie instructed her, and Veronica nodded once before she turned and headed up the stairs. Damon's apartment as lavish and…quite possibly _too _big for just one person. Then again, he had girls floating in and out every night if last night wasn't any indication. Regardless, her personal opinion didn't matter. She followed Bonnie's instructions and walked into Damon's room, finding it…odd, for some reason. She tried to think of the most appropriate place to put it—the bed, the dresser, or the closet—but just settled upon leaving it out for him to see. She walked over to the bed and laid the clear garment bag down.

Once she put the garment bag down, she found herself staring around the room, trying to figure Damon out. The walls were bare, the sheets were fresh, and the room was practically empty except for a dresser, a mirror, and a flat screen television. Compared to the rest of his house, his bedroom was…mediocre.

"Not how you pictured it?"

Veronica jumped and turned back to watch as Damon sauntered out of the open bathroom, dripping wet with nothing but a towel riding low on his hips. He walked over to her at the bed, his eyes trailing over the dry cleaned clothes.

"I…don't really picture it," Veronica admitted, stepping aside. Damon laughed to himself.

"Now _that_ was your first lie." He pulled the zipper down on the garment bag and turned back at her, capturing her gaze. "_Everyone's _pictured it."

Veronica didn't bother arguing—it was pointless with Damon, anyway. Like she'd determined before, it wasn't worth the effort. She just scoffed and began to turn on her heel. "Yeah…well, I'm gonna head over to the—"

"Damon?" As Veronica turned, she watched as a different girl—a brunette now—came out of the open bathroom wearing not a stitch of clothing. Beads of water dripped from this poor woman's naked body down onto the floor, but Veronica had a feeling that this woman didn't really mind it all that much. In fact, the woman looked over at Veronica and scanned her eyes before turning back to Damon with a pout. "Come back to the shower."

Veronica could pick up on an accent, and sure enough, Damon came up behind her and said in a not-so-apologetic tone, "She's European."

Like that was supposed to be an _excuse_.

* * *

"You should've seen her face," Damon cackled as he leaned back on the high stool at Enzo's bar. It was right after he'd taken off of work and had decided to take it easy on Veronica for the rest of the night. But the next day, he was sure to start raising hell again. It was _fun, _watching her sweat. "She was _mortified. _It was…golden, Enzo. Golden."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Enzo sighed as he poured a shot for another customer. "But, unlike you, some of us don't have _time _for an evil revenge scheme because we actually have a _job_." Enzo gestured around the bar and slid the shot he poured to the customer at the end of the bar.

Damon took a sip out of his bourbon glass and hummed to himself. "Enzo, I haven't been this good at work since…since I started and I actually _gave _a damn."

Enzo frowned. "Good for you, Mr. Big Shot. But have you ever given a thought to how you're going to _finish _this? The finale is just as important as the deliver."

Damon pointed at his best friend and nodded. "I _like _it. You're on top of the ball, Enzo. But I'm right there with you." He kicked back and smirked. "I was thinking…once I get my new promotion over in the London office, I'll just fire her and refuse to write a recommendation. And, on the off chance that she can find a recommendation from someone _better _than me—which she won't be able to, by the way—I'm going to _ruin _her career in the corporate world."

After Damon's plan was explained, Enzo just stared at him with impressed eyes. "All right. Good, you're leaning something." Damon took another sip of his alcohol. "But are you sure that you can do that? Ruin her life?"

Damon shrugged. "What's the problem? An eye for an eye, right?"

"Yeah, but…this is _Veronica Hale _we're talking about," Enzo started. Damon looked at him with confused eyes and Enzo shook his head. "Scratch that. She's a _woman, _Damon. Do you really think you can do all of this without…_anything _happening between you two?"

Damon leaned forward and began very seriously, "Enzo…I _hate _this woman. She may be _hot_, but I know my limits. There is nothing more that I want to do with her than_ destroy _her."

But Enzo wasn't convinced. He just sighed and took an order from another customer, who wanted a beer. As he popped open the cap, he looked up at Damon. "I'm just telling you to be careful, mate. Things can change in the blink of an eye and you might not even realize it."

Damon shook his head at Enzo, refusing to believe his warning. He had the whole thing mapped out in his mind—what could possibly go wrong?

* * *

**So...this chapter was super, duper short and for that I'm sorry. But know that the next chapter is where we really start to get into things. ****Thanks for reading, guys! Review if you can.**


End file.
